Tag Archives: paul romer

The Upside of Imperialism: Neo-Colonialism as a Strategy

Homework by streetlight: the photo behind the theory

A while back, I discussed why China had been so successful at poverty alleviation during the 1980’s and 1990’s.  I surmised that it had something to do with China’s embrace of “state capitalism.”  In a recent article in the Atlantic Monthly, one economist suggests that, actually, it is Britain is ultimately responsible for bringing more than 100 million Chinese out of poverty over a ten-year period.  By exporting the laissez-faire, business-friendly city model of Hong Kong to urban centers throughout China, the British created the seed that has grown into the China that exists as an economic and political powerhouse today.  Continue reading